Planoobapii co



F. L. HENIG ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLED nus. 14. new.

1 ,309,735, Patented July 15, 1919.

BSHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR: KL- 46/11 A TTORNE Y.

WITNESS THE coLUMmA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

F. L. HENIG.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION mzoaumu, 191s.

Patented July 15, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SUCH 2 INVENTOR; l/enl M 5 A TTORNEY.

F. L. HENIG.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.14. 1915.

Patented July 15, 1919.

5 SHETSSHEET 3.

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f g gzt f 'g k 4.7 am wil (7 r 1 HENIG 111mm ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 6.14.1915. 1,309,735. Patented J111y15, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4 7 INVENTOR:

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r115 CDLUMBIA mnuoan F. L. HENIG.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLED AUG. I4, \915.

Patented July 15, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5- 2: I .Z z g. 6.

IN V EN TOR;

m m 7 n I A m T L Kn WITNESS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. HENIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO HENIG ENGINE 00., ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J nly 15, 1919.

Application filed August 14, 1915. Serial No. 45,477.

I! '0 all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. HENIG, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 1111- nois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I dohereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to prime movers operated by fluid under pressure,(such as steam engines, compressed air motors or internal combustionmotors), its general object being to provide a simple and eflicientconstruction in which a rotary motion may be obtained without anyreversal of direction of the actuating parts. More particularly, myinvention aims to provide a prime mover in which a ressure-actuatedpiston may move continual ly in one and the same direction and in whichthe cylinder head associated with the piston will be automatically movedinto and out of the operative position at the right time and forspeedily returning it to its operative position; to provide a simple.ample and easilv controlled inlet for admitting the actuating fluid tothe runway in which the piston travels, and to avoid a catching of thepiston rings in the said inlet; t provide simple and effective means forforcing the actuating charge of fluid into the said runway quickly andat the proper period during the travel of the piston, and for adjustingboth the volume of the admitted fluid and the pressure or speed ofadmission of the same; to provide means actuated by the said charge forcontrolling the admission of the latter to the said run way; to providesimple means for drawing in the desired amount of charge and for compressin the same, and to provide simple means .or controlling the exitof the operatin fluid from the said runway.

ile my invention in one or more of its aspects may be embodied withsubstantially equal facility and effectiveness in a wide variety ofprime movers, it is particularly adapted for embodiment in an internalcombustion engine and is shown in this embodiment in the aecompanyindrawings, which drawin will also serve in disclosing further ob] ects ofmy invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of an internal combustionengine, with a portion of the cliargc-compressing cylinder cut away.

Fig. 2 a vertical section through Fig. 1 along the line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through Fig. 2 along the line 33.

Fig. at is a plan view of the engine.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 3 but taken at anotherpoint in the operation of the engine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section along the staggered line 66 ofFig. 5.

Figs. 789 and 10 are partially diagrammatic sectional views of theengine taken at four different periods in the rotation of the shaft.

The engine of the drawings has a main or body member 1, preferably madein two substantially symmetrical halves and supporting the bearings 2for a shaft 3 carrying a fly wheel 4. Concentric with the axis of theshaft 3, the body member 1 has an annular chamber 5 havin a cylindricalcross-section in any plane ra ml of the said axis, which chamber affordsa runway for a piston 6 having an axis curved concentrically of the saidshaft. The main member 1 also has a passage 9, preferably vertical,which intersects the runway 5 and extends upward from the latter andwhich is preferably reduced in width toward its lower end. This passageaffords a guide-way for a slide 10 normally disposed across the runway 5(as in Fig. 3) so as to form a closure opposed to one end of the pistoncorresponding to the cylinder head in a reciprocating engine, whichslide is continuously urged in a downward direction not only by its ownweight but also by a spring 11 bearing against a thrust bar 12.

The main member 1 also has an explosion chamber 13 connected to thechamber 5 by a port 14 and also connected b an inlet passage 16 to acharging cylin or 17 housing a plunger or charge-com ression piston 18.The port 14 is controlled by a reciprocable valve member 19 which isnormally pressed into closed position by a. spring 15 but adapted to beraised out of this position by the upward pressure of fluid in theexplosion camber against an enlargement 20 on the said member 19. Theplunger 18 is connected by a stem 21 to a strap 22 encircling the shaft3, which strap comprises a lower semi-circular portion and an upperrectangular portion, the latter having a flat horizon tal top 23equipped on itls' lowen-faee with a strip 24 of raw-hide orothersuitahle cushioning material. Fast upon the shaft 3. and siiilalllyelicit-tried by the strap 22 is a segnuntal ttilll :5 having a peripherycomposed of a eurred'portion conoei-itric withthe shaft and preferablyextending inore than hall' way around the latter, and a straight side.The greatest vertical ,Lnsideqneasurenient o t the strap 23 ispreferably equal to the dianr rter of the curved portion of the again:25, so that the lowcr curved portion of the strap and cushioning strip2% will,;-b(continuously engaged by the cant 25 during the larger partof the rotation of theulatter, thereby holding the stenr2l andotheplunger 18 immovable in the uppermost position of the latter, as shownin Fig. 1. wHowever, when the rain reaches atposition where its straightedge imituttlts, substantially parallel to the top 2 of the strap; thelatter will drop by gravity into the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1, thereby drawing the plunger- 18 downward and sucking a chargetas of gas) through an opening 26whi'eh is normallytkept closed by aspring-pressed t valve 27. Then a crmtinued.rotatinglot the Jam 25 willsoorrbringits curved edge again into contact with 'thetuprper part ofthe strap (or a cushioning on the latter there- ,by raising :theplunger- 18 so as to compress thecharge of'gas in thegeylinder 17 and toforce this compressed charge through the, in

plunger 18, and he the ,e'n'gi m "just a er y the spring 29) I as 18,thereby let passage 16 into the explosion chamber 13. There the chargeis exploded by a spark plug 28 controlled by a timer suitahly mounted onthe shaft of the engine hut not. shown in the drawings In starting itsdescent, the plunger 18 tends to produce a vacuum in the chargingcylinder 1?, hence I preferably do not fiepend entirely on gravityfoifactuating this plunger, but supplement the pull of grayity by a spring29 engaging a pbrtionjif a stem 32 extending'down'wardly from the strap'22.

This spring bears vup-ward ly against a threaded e'ap 31 on a tiiloplarriser fitl so that by adjusting the ositioa of gap 1 can vary thetension oaths spring andteon t equentl the speed of ides eht off the,plunger 18. I can alsoiise the top of this cap 31e s a S p f rfi il firi 1 e brapm her by reducing the descent of e strap and the V ee reduci ghe vo lu ine of charge drawn 121K}: the, 0y n er 17 the"d'iagrannfiatic"riewsQFigQ 7 shows grayity (aqpelerated i tqeredt enlraBr win a s r e in oth r r ing cylinder 17 j'whieh is conneetied at: its

'iippr end 29' to asuitahle su pply pf .gf

such as a; ga-s lrnain gr mpes f fid 'iw'ith a n ixture of air andvaporized gasolene. While the charge 18 be ng drawn into the cylinder 17the slide or partition 10 is being raised by a cam 30 projecting fromthe front end of the piston (J, and preferably integral with the flange7, which rain raises the partition until the latter entirely clears therunway 5 and rides upon the outer sur face of tlietpistont, as shown inFig. 6. Theta as soon as the i'mn'nentuin of the rotatii'ip; piston hascarried the rear end of the latter past the forward. facet of the: slide'10, the lattx',1' will) dropv by: gravity; into thei Anon-nail positionni -Which it forms olosurewoross t the runway. whileithis isioeeurringtthat i is toisay while the piston isr-passi ngoundcr the partition, andwhile tha -letter isidro-pttping to its normal,position): tlie team 25is raising the strap 23 (and hence the plunger 18) to theposition ofFigs. L andSgttherehy rouipressing the charge within the cylinder 17.and forcinp this el'iargeintothe explosion ehainher 13, where the chargeis exploded and the resulting increased 'pli bSlllf'e' i'wifiufi thevalve 19 and admits the gases ul'ider high pressure through the port*14- towthe runway 5. Then the expansion of the ill) gases between theslide 10 and the rear end of the 'piston will forcibly propel -thelatter to the position ofFig- 9,- 01' even'0f Fig." 10, after which themomentum of the rotatin parts (Which-parts are/preferably steadie by {tdy-Wheels) will completethe rotation to the point. Where the aotuatinggas is again adin'ittedto the runway. "However, as soon as the pistonhas passed the exhaust port 34, the aotuating fluid will be dischargedfrom the runway through the exhaustf'pipe 35. thus reducing the pressurein the runway and the explosion rhainher '13 whereupon gravity assistedby the spring 15 will drop the valve '19, and diseonneet the explosionchamber-from the l 'unway.

It will be evident fromflthe'drawings that by suitably adjusting "thetension of the spring 11, the rate ofidescent of the slide 10 can beaccelerated, so that this iSlldCLXVIll tern an effective closureacrossthe runway (correspond ng to the eylinder-hetttl. 1nalreeipropating op 'ne) even llfi'the engine is runn ng at a airly h ghlspeed. Also,"that hy varying the amount of charge, the'protp rt noofota ona m vem n w r e b0 the piston byj dire'etaction of theggas presitsure bet ween 111118 latter Q and the -paflptltlOTl ma b Y r adtt ustenbhng t e eg i e be useld at garious rates of expans onfofjthe fluid.oreoyer, ysineeiithejfir ng it snlace i l sham n 1mm r i ies loba izat oeantrpr l t ea yi fie d th amber, an "the latter ca t e sily b d ans,Qut byrnmQY-ingth nipp 3t lwl1 i h carries the par i p ug; 28,. thstkqepingahe ru ner .s le r ettsw id msu.

To avoid having the slide 10 catch on the piston rings 37, I preferablydispose the passage 9 out of alinement with the axis of the shaft 3, sothat the slide will be angularly disposed to the piston rings passingunder the same, as shown in Fig. 5. However, I do not wish to be limitedto this precise arrangement, nor to other of the details hereindisclosed, it being obvious that the same might be varied in manyrespects without departing from the spirit of my invention. F orexample, instead of connecting the chamber 13 through a cylinder 17 witha supply of explosible gas, this chamber might be connected directly toa supply of steam or of compressed air, thus adapting my invention foruse as a steam engine or as a compressed air motor. It will also beobvious that in using the term engine in my claims, I am using this inthe broad sense in which it includes a great variety of prime movers,besides those actuated by gas pressu re due to internal combustion.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rotary engine, a body having an annular chamber, a pistonslidable in the chamber. a charging cylinder formed in the body andprojecting outwardly from a Side thereof, an explosion chambercommunicating with the annular chamber and with the cylinder, a slidecooperating with the piston, a plunger in the cylinder having adepending stem extending along one side of the body. a shaft carryingthe piston, a cam on the shaft. a strap connected to the depending stemand encircling the cam, a stem dependin from the bottom portion of thestrap, a tubular riser receiving the lastnamed stem, a spring encirclingand connected at one end to said last-named stem, and a cap adjustableon the riser and engaging the other end of the spring and engageablewith the strap to restrict the downward movement thereof.

In a rotary engine, a body having an annular chamber. a piston slidablein the chamber, a charging cylinder formed in the body and projectingoutwardly from a side thereof, an explosion chamber communicating withthe annular chamber and with the cylinder, a slide cooperating with thepiston,

a plunger in the cylinder having a depending stem extending along oneside of the body, a shaft carrying the piston, a cam on the shaft, astrap connected to the depending stem and encircling the cam, and anadjustable spring device connected to the bottom portion of the strap totension the latter in a downward direction.

3. In a rotary engine, a body having an annular chamber, a pistonslidable in the chamber, a charging cylinder formed in the body andprojecting outwardly from a side thereof. an explosion chambercommunicating with the annular chamber and with the cylinder, a slidecooperating with the piston, a plunger in the cylinder having a depending stem extending along one side of the body, a shaft carrying thepiston, a cam on the shaft, a strap connected to the depending stem andencircling the cam, and a combined adjustable device for tensioning thestrap in a downward direction and for engaging the strap to restrict thedownward movement thereof and accordingly the downward movement of theplunger.

4. In combination with a body having an annular chamber and a pistonslidable therein, a charging cylinder, a plunger in the cylinder, a camconnected to the piston, means connected to the plunger and encirclingthe cam to actuate the plunger by the cam movements, means to tensionsaid first means, and combined adjustable means to effect adjustment ofthe tension of the tensioning means and to engage said first means tolimit the downward movement of the plunger.

5. In combination with a body having an annular chamber and a pistonslidable therein, a charging cylinder. a plunger in the cylinder, a camconnected to the piston, means connected to the plunger and encirclingthe cam to actuate the plunger by the cam movements, means to tensionsaid first means, includin a spring, and a turnable cap engaging one endof the spring to adjust the tension of the latter and being engageablewith the bottom portion of the strap to restrict the downward movementof the latter and thereby the downward movement of the plunger.

FRANK L. HE NIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

